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Alison McGovern said: “The Labour party is such a strong family. You can't keep cutting people's services and tangibly cutting their income and expect people not to notice and not to want to send a message.

"I think the Tories thought they were entitled to win. I think they were arrogant. I think they didn't count on the Labour party standing in their way. Well people shouldn't count out the Labour party in my experience.

"There's absolutely no disconnect between any members of the Labour party. We are absolutely as one as a united fighting force.

"We've been strong and united. These Tories have been absolutely arrogant and we wouldn't let them get away with it."

Veteran MP Frank Field upped his share of the vote by more than 9% to romp home and Angela Eagle cruised to victory with 34,553 compared to the nearest challengers - the Tories - who could only muster 11,232.

Mr Field said: "This is a disaster for the Prime Minister. She went into this to get a Brexit mandate, now who knows how we will negotiate Brexit.

"This is real success for Labour and Jeremy Corbyn."

Mr Field attributed Labour's strong showing to "People have put up with too much for too long wanting to make a change."